02 June 2012

Some color in Late May

After the last post, we were able to spend a good amount of time in the field over the Memorial Day weekend. 

On Saturday 5/26, after the rain storms, I checked out Lower Huron Metropark and found a few species for the first time this season.
- Azure Bluet (Enallagma aspersum) = dozens
- Orange Bluet (E. signatum) = 1 coupled pair
- Widow Skimmer (Libellua luctuosa) = ~dozen
- "reddish" Saddlebags (Tramea onusta or carolina) = 1

On Sunday 5/27, we checked out a few locations in Hines Park in the morning and were pleased to find a good population of Eastern Red Damselflies (Amphiagrion saucium).  This is only the second location where we've found them in Wayne County and this is definitely a breeding location. Here is a male:


During the afternoon, I checked a couple locations at Pte. Mouillee SGA in Monroe County and found a lot of color.
- Blue Dashers (Pachydiplax longipennis) were out in the 1000s, such as this young male:


Then there were the damselflies...
- Variable Dancers (Argia fumipennis violacea) and Rainbow Bluets (Enallagma antennatum) by the dozens:




Later in the day, a Swamp Darner (Epiaeschna heros) flew through our backyard in Dearborn.

On Monday 5/28, I checked out Maybury State Park and saw a single female Eastern Amberwing (Perithemis tenera).

The ode season is just beginning and it's been good so far this year.  Let's see what is turned up in June.

2 comments:

Jerry Jourdan said...

Great post, and thanks for the confirmation on the Blue Dashers at Pt. Mouillee. Yes, they were there by the thousands!

Darrin OBrien said...

thanks, Jerry

Be on the lookout for Variegated Meadowhawk when you're on the levees.